Category Archives: Malaysia

If you have just started to follow this blog, you may be surprised to know that I am not a Hong Kong local. Okay, maybe you might get the hints that I relocated here from Singapore, but yet I am not a Singaporean. I grew up in a small town called Menglembu in Malaysia, where my earliest food memories were made. It has been more than ten years since I moved away from home, but yet I remember some food places like a piece of history etched permanently in memory.

And rightfully so, for Malaysia is famous for its varied, delicious food. I could rattle all night long of my favourite Malaysian restaurants, or I could tell you that ONE seafood place which I will always, always remember. During my recent trips back home, I even demanded my family to make the one-hour journey to this obscure restaurant in the middle of nowhere near the town of Sitiawan.

Ah Pek Lee Kou Hock is the place. Funny name of a restaurant, eh? Never mind the name. Let me tell you about its food. This meal took place over a year ago, but to this day I still remember the details. Vividly.

Sweet & Sour Fish Maw With Sea Cucumber

Succulent fish maws cooked with soft sea cucumber with a touch of shrimps, cooked in a sour, starchy tomato broth. You know, they should consider replacing shark fins with a phenomenal dish like this one.

Oyster Omelet

Maybe I should rename this as oily oyster omelet. Yes, it is extremely greasy – I can feel my waistline expanding just by thinking of it – yet like all fattening food this was extremely good. More commonly known as “hou jian” in the local dialect, it’s a tantalising mix of batter, eggs, oysters… and plenty of oil. Yum.

My childhood days were spent in a small town some ten kilometres away from Ipoh. The place is famous for its (smallish) hill, one of the few in the cities, and the origin of the famous Malaysian peanuts.

Yes, I grew up in Menglembu, and I am proud of it. Menglembu, if literally translated from Malay to English, means “to cow”.

Apart from the occasional cows blocking traffic around the town and the grazing herds crowding out playgrounds, there were not that many cows in Menglembu, to be honest.

But hey I got distracted again. I wanted to talk about one of the places here that I remember the most. During my growing up years, breakfast is an important affair, and a fair part of it during my growing up years were spent at this restaurant called “Fusan” located directly across my house.

The food is nothing special, typical of Malaysian hawkers. But a recent visit made when I got home again last month brought back truckload of memories. Some of the original hawkers were still there! I mean, these folks toil day and night serving the same dish since I was six. That’s like more than twenty years ago.

Some things never change. Like my preferred food from Fusan.

Claypot noodle. The price might have doubled over the years, but the portion didn’t. I used to order a double portion of the noodle, plus another egg and more meat.